The Indiana College Network (ICN) provides a single starting point for learners interested in locating educational opportunities from Indiana’s accredited colleges and universities and educational partners.
ICN Services
ICN staff can answer your questions about distance education, help you register for classes, and provide information about careers and financial aid. They can also connect you with the right campus offices to help you apply for admission or plan a program of study. And if you need access to equipment or the Internet to take your classes, ICN staff can also guide you to a learning center near you.
You don’t have to live near a campus to attend class or complete your degree when Indiana colleges and universities offer thousands of classes at a distance each semester via the Internet, CD-ROMs/DVDs, videoconference, videotape, and traditional correspondence. Several institutions offer certificate, undergraduate, and graduate degree programs at a distance. The courses are virtually the same as those taught on campus except that a physical distance separates the teacher and you.
What should I expect?
When you register for a distance education course, you should expect equivalent content and opportunity for learning as students who take the course on campus. Distance education courses are not easy, fast-paced replacements for regular on-campus classes. In fact, distance education requires self motivation and a serious approach to learning because much of the work is done individually without the in-person instructor guidance in traditional learning environments. However, instructors are available to answer your questions by phone, e-mail, or even by an on-campus orientation meeting or a videoconference.
Is distance learning right for me?
Only you can determine whether distance education is right for you. Successful distance learners are self-disciplined, self-motivated, and do not require regular reminders from their instructor or classmates to meet deadlines.
Is Distance Learning for me?
How well will distance learning fit your circumstances and life-style? Can you use a computer and browse the Internet with relative ease, or are there things you have to learn, will adjustments need to be made for you to handle their use? The above handy nine question quiz was developed by the Kansas State University Division of Continuing Education to help potential distance education students assess their chances for success.
How well will distance learning fit your circumstances and life-style?
Distance learning can be a wonderful alternative to students who do not have the time or ability to get to a campus classroom; but distance and online courses are not for everyone. Before enrolling in an online course, take the quiz above developed and used by Old Dominion University to help you assess whether online learning is right for you.
What kind of learner are you?
Three commonly recognized learning styles are visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. In general, people use all three, but most individuals favor one style over the others. If you are familiar with your own learning style, you will be able to study more effectively and reach your educational goals.
How do I begin?
Begin by thinking about your educational goals. Do you want to take one distance education class or complete an entire degree online? If you are degree-seeking, have you found a program that meets your need? If so, contact the ICN campus coordintor at the institution where you will seek your degree. Your ICN campus coordinator is your best resource for information on studying at a distance.
How do I take distance classes?
Classes are offered through a variety of delivery methods, including the Internet, videoconferencing, cable/public television, videotape, and traditional print correspondence. Some courses are offered in multiple delivery modes, while others may use a combination of methods for a single course.
What do I do if I need access to special equipment to take my class?
There are more than 50 public learning centers throughout the state that provide access to the technology distance learners need to complete their assignments and communicate with their instructors. Many are located on college and university campuses, although the number of centers located in public libraries, public high schools, and community centers is growing. Learning center coordinators have experience helping distance students conquer their challenges. If they don’t know the answer to your questions, they have the resources to find it for you.
Can I apply for admission online?
Yes. Whether you are degree-seeking or not, you can apply for admission online on the ICN Web site.
Online Admission Forms for Degree Seekers
Apply for Nondegree Admission (requires an ICN login and password)
How do I register?
If you are planning to take courses that originate solely from your Home Institution, then register directly with your Home Institution. If you would like to take a course from an ICN partner institution, you will need to logon and/ or create an ICN account to preregister.
How do I get my books and course materials?
Once your registration is approved, the Originating Institution will either mail your books and course materials to you or instruct you how to obtain them. Many institutions make it possible to order your books online, while others take orders over the telephone.
What resources are available to help me succeed?
In addition to your ICN campus coordinator, staff at ICN can point you to online resources as well as to your local learning center, where you will be able to access equipment needed to complete your assignments and talk with coordinators who have experience helping distance learners succeed.
More and more adults are entering college. Whether it’s for career promotion, career change, or personal enrichment, if you are new to college and are considering distance education, the following tips will help you get started.
Glossary of Terms
Get to know the people at your Home Institution.
The staff at your Home Institution are your best resources for assistance as a distance learner. They are dedicated to helping you succeed, and can link you to useful campus offices or services to assist you.
Advising is essential.
If you plan to pursue a degree, it is extremely important to obtain academic advising from your Home Institution before registering for any courses. The academic advisor at your Home Institution is an expert in your program of study and knows the courses you need to complete a degree or certificate. Without an academic advisor, you could easily register for a course that won't count toward your program. Your academic advisor may also be able to suggest alternative classes that you can take as replacements for degree requirements. If you need a specific course to finish your program, your academic advisor can approve your taking a class from another ICN partner, without jeopardizing your financial aid.
Academic Advising
You're not in this alone.
Distant students have a variety of resources to help them achieve their educational goals. In addition to your ICN campus coordinator, your classmates and instructors, and ICN staff will walk you through registration and admission procedures, point you useful online resources, and direct you to a local learning center where you'll find coordinators who have experience helping distance learners succeed.
Is distance learning right for you?
Only you can determine whether distance education is right for you. Successful distance learners are self-disciplined, self-motivated, and do not require regular reminders from the instructor or classmates to meet deadlines. Perhaps one of the following quizzes will help you decide.
Is Distance Learning for me?
How well will distance learning fit your circumstances and life-style? The above handy questionnaire was developed to help potential distance education students assess their chances for success and is used at Northern Virginia Community College’s Extended Learning Institute. This brief quiz should help you to determine if distance learning is right for you, too.
How well will distance learning fit your circumstances and life-style?
Distance learning can be a wonderful alternative to students who do not have the time or ability to get to a campus classroom; but distance and online courses are not for everyone. Before enrolling in an online course, take the quiz above developed and used by Old Dominion University to help you assess whether online learning is right for you.
Congratulations on your decision to go back to school! Whatever your reason for returning to school, distance education offers a flexible and convenient option for those with family and work responsibilities. If you have been out of school for more than a year, the tips below will help you get started.
Advising is essential.
If you are pursuing a degree, or expect to be, it is extremely important to obtain academic advising from your Home Institution before registering. The academic advisor at your Home Institution is an expert in your program of study and knows the courses you need to complete a degree or certificate. Without an academic advisor, you could easily register for a course that won't count toward your program. Your academic advisor may also be able to suggest alternative classes that you can take as replacements for degree requirements. If you need a specific course to finish your program, your academic advisor can approve your taking a class from another ICN partner, without jeopardizing your financial aid.
Academic Advising
Is distance learning right for you?
Only you can determine whether distance education is right for you. Successful distance learners are self-disciplined, self-motivated, and do not require regular reminders from the instructor or classmates to meet deadlines. Perhaps one of the following quizes will help you decide.
Distance Learning Quiz
This self-test may help you decide if distance education courses are a good option for you. Provided by the Northern Virginia Community College.
Distance Learning Quiz for Prospective Distance Learners
This self-test is designed to help determine how distance education would fit your needs. Provided by Washington State University.
Adult students often bring a great deal of knowledge with them when they decide to get a college degree. Through prior learning assessment, some college continuing education offices may award credit to students for their past life experiences as well as past formal education.
Colleges and universities use "prior learning assessments" to evaluate the knowledge a student has gained through life experience. Prior learning assessment enables college instructors to evaluate life experiences as potentially equivalent to courses taught at the college level. There are three common ways in which prior learning can be assessed: prior learning portfolios, standardized tests, and departmental credit. Colleges have high standards for these assessments, so students should check before investing their time to see which of these options, if any, their college or university will consider.
Prior Learning Portfolio
A prior learning portfolio is a written record presented by the student requesting college credit for learning outside the classroom. Credit is given only for college-level learning, and the portfolio must be well documented and organized. Portfolio requirements vary, but most of them include the following elements:
Standardized Tests
Standardized tests are nationally administered exams created to evaluate students and compare knowledge levels. Each college and university has its own standards for accepting tests, defining a passing grade and awarding hours of credit. Some schools may have a limit on the number of credits that can be awarded through exams. Others will not grant credit but will allow the student to bypass an introductory class or classes and begin at a higher level.
Departmental Credit
To earn departmental credit, students work with a specific department (rather than the college's admission office) at the college of their choice. Credit obtained through a department is generally for a specific course or field, such as foreign language or math. Each department will create its own exam to test the student, so it is particularly important for the student to talk with the instructor or department chair to find out how long the exam will be, what subjects will be covered, how much credit might be awarded and if there is a specific text or content area the student should study. Two common kinds of departmental credit options are the challenge exam and oral exam.
For more information, contact your ICN Campus Coordinator.
Paying for college is a major expense, however there are many resources to help you, from the resources on this Web site to staff in financial aid offices on college and university campuses. Be advised that your family's financial situation will directly affect the types and amount of assistance you may receive.
To be considered for any financial aid, other than unsubsidized loans, you must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) with the U.S. Department of Education. The U.S. Department of Education must receive this annual application by March 10 each academic year that you wish to be considered for aid. After the application has been processed, the U.S. Department of Education will send you a Student Aid Report (SAR). The information on the SAR will allow your college's financial aid office to award loans, grants, scholarships, and employment opportunities. The types and amount of financial aid available will vary by institution.
Related Links
Studying at a distance can be challenging, however, with a positive attitude and dedication to your studies, you can achieve your educational goals. The tips below will help you get started.
admission
entry to a particular institution or program that is formally granted by the institution after a student meets set requirements
advisor/advising
person or act of directing a student toward the proper courses necessary to complete the student's educational goals
asynchronous communication or interaction
any act of exchanging information involving a delay between the sending and the receiving of the message/p>
associate degree
degree program requiring 60+ hours of specified course work
bachelor's degree or baccalaureate
the degree of bachelor of arts or bachelor of science, typically requiring 120 hours of specified course work
bursar
campus office where student tuition and fee payments are made
campus
physical location of a college or university
campus coordinator
an ICN learner's primary contact at the Home Institutionan who assists with registration and provides on-campus support
correspondence course
a course in which all communication between student and instructor is done with printed materials via the US Mail
credit course
a class with specified learning goals which the student is required to meet in order to pass the course and that may be applied toward the fulfillment of degree requirements at a college or university
degree program
an organized sequence of classes that leads to the awarding of a college degree at the undergraduate or graduate level
delivery method
means by which a course is accessible to the student; can be television at a Receive Site, cable, videotape, via the Internet, or by U.S. mail
distance education
a formal learning activity which occurs when students and instructor are separated by geographic distance or by time, often supported by communications technology such as television, videotape, computers or mail
drop/withdrawal
student option for not continuing enrollment in a course. Student receives a full or partial refund of tuition and fees if the drop or withdrawal is completed by a certain date near the beginning of the semester
electronic mail (email)
a system of exchanging messages by means of computers attached to a network
electronic mail account or email account
an authorization that allows the sending of electronic mail messages over a particular system, such as one college's network
faculty
instructors of higher education course work; a group term: one college teacher is "a member of the faculty"
fees/costs
payment required for itemized services or materials involved with higher education classes
final exams
tests often given at the end of a course to assess mastery of course material
financial aid
money available from various sources and under various conditions to students needing assistance to pay tuition and educational expenses. The term covers both grants and loans.
graduate course
a credit course that may be applied to a graduate degree (that is, a master's or other professional degree, usually requiring at least 30 hours of work beyond the bachelor's degree)
Home Institution
the university or college in Indiana that processes your enrollment, maintains your records, issues your grades and grants credit, provides financial aid services, and grants your degree if you are degree seeking.
Indiana College Network (ICN)
a collaborative distance education service with participation from all of Indiana's accredited public colleges and unviersities and a growing number of private institutions that delivers educational courses and programs to learners at a distance
Indiana Partnership for Statewide Education (IPSE)
a cooperative venture formed in 1992 by Indiana's colleges and universities to deliver and support high-quality instructional programming for students wherever they are
Indiana Higher Education Telecommunication System (IHETS)
a state-supported consortium of all higher education institutions in Indiana that operates and manages telecommunication networks and services for shared use in addition to operating the Indiana College Network
IHETS Receive Site
location equipped to receive televised distance education courses over the IHETS satellite network; students can view and participate in televised classes at these locations.
IHETS Television
a closed-circuit satellite network transmitting distance education courses from colleges and universities to students throughout Indiana and beyond
(note: As of June 2006 IHETS Television is no longer an active delivery method)
IHETS Interactive / Web Conferencing
IHETS Interactive is a Web-based application that supports live video and audio as well as other types of interaction and collaboration. Students watch and listen to the instructor using a standard Windows PC and interact with the instructor and one another using the application’s audio and text chat features. IHETS Interactive classes can be taken at any location with a networked PC meeting the minimum technical requirements, including from home or work. Students who do not have regular access to a networked computer can participate from an authorized ICN learning center.
independent study
courses delivered and completed primarily via US mail
Internet
the web of interconnections among computers that allow computer users to exchange electronic mail and access host computers at a distance, including host computers providing sites on the World Wide Web ("WWW" or "Web")
IPSE Member Institutions (not the same as ICN Participating Institutins)
learning center
a place where students can use equipment and obtain services needed to participate in distance education classes, including computers and fax machines
learning center coordinator
individual at a Learning Center who provides information about learning opportunities, access to equipment, instruction in its use, and general help with course-related or program-related service needs, questions, and problems
library coordinator
a librarian at a college or university who provides library services and resources to distance education students taking courses originating from that institution
live interaction
ability for students to participate in classes offered at a distance using electronic technology (video or audio return communication for a TV class or "chat" mode on the Internet)
noncredit
a class that typically meets only once or just a few times and that contributes toward personal or occupational development rather than being applicable toward a college degree
open enrollment
courses which allow students to register at any time throughout the year. Open enrollment courses generally must be completed within a six month or one year period, depending upon the originating institution
Originating Institution
the college or university which produces and offers a specific course
parallel course
course that must be taken the same semester as another for full credit
prerequisite
requirements necessary before a student can take a particular class
professional development
courses offered to improve knowledge and skills in a specific professional areas, such as professional certification programs
registrar's office
campus office where student registration and records are compiled
registration
act wherein a student enrolls in a specific course
student services
services for students and prospective students, including counseling and help with course registration )
syllabus
outline of material a specific course will cover, on what schedule, with what assignments; usually distributed at the first class of the semester (plural: syllabi).
Teleresponse
a special device developed by IHETS for the satellite network to allow off-site, distant students to interact with the instructor and classmates via return audio communication
transferability
the extent to which a course taken from one campus may be accepted by another campus; variations determining full or partial transfer of the credit depend on such factors as whether the receiving campus offers an equivalent or similar course at comparable levels of academic expectation for learning; academic advisors and campus coordinators have information about whether and how specific courses will transfer to their institutions and degree programs
transcript
student record of grades, courses completed, and advancement toward a degree or toward the completion of a program
tuition
payment required for enrollment in a course
undergraduate course
a credit course that may be applied to an undergraduate degree (that is, a two-year college degree, often referred to as an associate degree, or a four-year college degree, often referred to as a bachelor's degree)
Virtual Indiana Classroom (VIC)
delivery method of the Indiana University Virtual Indiana Classroom network. The two-way video courses delivered via the IU interactive network are available solely at IU campuses
World Wide Web (WWW or Web)
an information system based on hypertext, in which you can follow links from one document to another; the millions of documents which make up the Web are located on computers all over the world and can be accessed via the Internet
If you are new to distance education and plan to take courses through the ICN Interinstitutional Registration process, the following checklist will help walk you through the process.
Questions? Contact your campus coordinator or ICN staff for assistance.